Winning but still not convincing
When the result was true, the score of 3-1 that the Vietnam team won at home against the Nepal team had nothing to add. Coach Kim Sang-sik is therefore considered to have fulfilled his tasks, especially when the decisions to change personnel he made were still effective (Van Vi entered the field at the beginning of the second half and scored the decisive goal).
However, for Vietnamese experts and fans, the story has never been that simple. Therefore, for the Korean coach - somehow, for some reason - there are still certain advantages in the calling, controlling the general and the result, but it is still not enough to convince the majority of people watching the match.
Still means from previous matches, the convincing is very low. Against an opponent a few dozen places behind them in the FIFA rankings (114 compared to 176), who scored very early and played with one more player throughout the second half (after the 1-1 draw), the common number used by the press for this victory was "difficult". Some places also express it as "difficult to work with", "stuck"...
Why is it so hard? There are two perspectives to answer this question. One is due to the qualifications problem. Two is due to mentality. In terms of qualifications, it will be difficult to say that the difference is too big when there are enough personnel on both sides. In the second half, the problem became more obvious when we played with more players. That is, that control, that dominance, but it cannot bring a "swing" feeling in the implementation. Just thinking that taking advantage of opportunities is "lack of luck", the new implementation is what viewers want to see in matches like this.
There are also experts who question the mindset and attitude of some players - because the opponent is much weaker. Well, when they think so and the result is still a win, it is not necessary to go into depth, but such a mindset will not be allowed to repeat in the upcoming match, also against the team of Nepal. Let's see, with the best mindset, how will the real level perform.
Do your job well
With the victory over Nepal, the Vietnam team currently has 6 points, ranking 2nd in Group F of the Asian Cup qualifiers. The Malaysian team leads with 9 absolute points after 3 matches, with the same goal difference of +9 (scoring 9 goals, not conceding any). At this time, interest is of course directed towards which Malaysia football will receive a verdict from violations related to the issue of naturalizing players. Will the 4-0 victory of the Vietnam team be reversed into a 3-0 victory for Mr. Kim Sang-sik and his team?
If the Malaysian team is held to a draw, the two teams will change positions, with 9 points for the Vietnamese team, and Peter Cklamovski and his team have 6 points. Of course, that is good news for the Vietnam Team, but remember, the journey is still halfway.
And even if the verdict on the first leg of the match between the two teams last June remains the same, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team still have to do their job well. In the next 2 matches, the Vietnam team and the Malaysia team will meet the Nepal and Laos teams in turn, so except for the earthquake, until the two teams are rematched on March 31, 2026, it will still be the match that decides the ticket to the final round.
Coach Kim Sang-sik and his students must focus on their work instead of worrying about the problem of Malaysia (as he said). Because there is almost certain that fans will believe in the next two victories against Nepal and Laos. The problem is how to win?
On October 10, at Thong Nhat Stadium (HCMC), a meeting was held to deploy preparations for the second leg match between the Vietnam National Team and the Nepal National Team in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.
The second leg match between Vietnam and Nepal will take place at 7:30 p.m. on October 14 at Thong Nhat Stadium, broadcast live on VFF's digital platforms to serve fans nationwide.
